Chatham-Kent council will kick off their 2022 budget process tonight, with a presentation of a draft budget.

There will be two things that will play a role in shaping this municipal budget.

One, inflation has risen at a high rate—the highest in Canada since 2003, and with higher costs for goods and things like construction, it will likely have to be passed on to taxpayers.

Second, it’s an election year, which will make councillors wary of either cutting services, and/or raising taxes, as Chatham-Kent voters head to the polls in the fall.

Community consultations will take place online next week on January 19th and 20th, with deliberations taking place the following week.

All budget meetings will be held online and can be viewed on YourTV and Chatham-Kent YourTV’s YouTube channel.